Getting Around in BANGKOK Worst Mistakes to Avoid

Welcome to Bangkok, Thailand. This is a large and bustling metropolis, and if you’re planning a visit to the city, you’re going to need to use the transportation system. From taxis to tuktuks, trains, and ferries, you have plenty of options available but you can also make a lot of mistakes.

I’m going to cover the most common transportation mistakes that newcomers make in this city. I’ll save you time and money while helping you avoid scams and hassles.

Mistake #1: Staying in the Wrong Neighborhood

And the first mistake is a big one. A couple of months ago, a few of my friends visited Bangkok and we were supposed to meet up for a drink. Alas, we didn’t. When my friend messaged me again, he said he didn’t like Bangkok, and I asked him where they had stayed. He told me in a neighborhood called Lat Phrao. This is a distant suburb in the city where they found a cheap hotel, but there was no access to the public transportation network.

This is a huge mistake. Bangkok is a huge and sprawling metropolis, and you need to stay near a public transportation station, ideally near the city center. Choosing the right location will allow you to explore this city with ease while avoiding gridlock traffic and all the hassles that come with transportation. Most of the people that I met over the years who hated Bangkok ended up staying in the wrong neighborhoods.

Mistake #2: Lacking Awareness of Transportation Options

This brings me to the second key mistake: lacking awareness of all the transportation options available in this city. Bangkok has a vast public transportation network which starts as soon as you arrive at the international airport with the Airport Rail Link, and it extends over to the train systems the BTS, the MRT and on to the ferries and the massive bus network that cover this entire city. I have an entire standalone guide about the transportation system here in Bangkok the link is in the description. I highly recommend you check it out before you come to this city.

Mistake #3: Not Carrying Small Change

But if you plan to use public transportation, make sure to carry around some small change and bills with you. Many of the BTS stations only have coin vending machines, and if you don’t have change, you’ll have to wait in long lines in order to break a bill and buy a ticket. In addition, most ferries and buses will require you to have smaller bills or change in order to pay the conductors, as they can’t give change for large bills. It’s a good habit to have here in Bangkok generally paying with small bills and change will save you from a lot of problems. You can check out my scams video if you want to know why.

Mistake #4: Not Getting a Smart Card

But if you plan to stay in Bangkok for more than a few days, it can be a mistake to buy tickets all together. Instead, get yourself a smart card. You can buy a smart card for the MRT or the BTS and avoid waiting in line. Simply tap it on the turnstile. You can buy the card at any ticket booth just bring your passport and it’ll cost you 100 baht as a deposit. You can top it up at vending machines or the ticket booth at later dates and avoid all those lineups at rush hour.

Or if you have a good travel credit card, you can tap it here at the MRT and pay directly. Unfortunately, credit card payment is currently only available here at the MRT. At the BTS, you’ll still need to buy a smart card if you want to skip the lines.

Mistake #5: Eating or Drinking on the Train

Whichever form of public transportation you’re using, it’s a mistake to eat or drink on any train. Eating and drinking on the trains is forbidden, and violators can be fined and this includes water. But that’s how they keep the transit system so clean here in Bangkok. And of course, things like smoking and vaping are also banned.

Mistake #6: Not Using the Ferry System

When it comes to public transportation, it can be a mistake not to use the ferry system here in Bangkok. While the mass transit train system will probably be your main form of transportation, the ferries can offer the fastest and cheapest, as well as the most unique, opportunity to explore this city.

Bangkok was traditionally known as the Venice of the East, and it has a canal and river ferry network which runs through the center of the city. You can travel throughout the city while avoiding any traffic or congestion. The ferries are very easy to use just hop on a canal ferry at any of the piers and you’ll pay the conductor directly. Or if you choose to use a river ferry on the Chao Phraya, you can buy a ticket at any of the piers.

I highly recommend that you take at least one trip on the blue flag tourist boat on the Chao Phraya River for some of the best views of this city.

Mistake #7: Not Downloading Ride-Hailing Apps

But while the BTS, MRT, and mass transit systems are excellent in Bangkok, it’s a mistake not to download the ride-hailing apps. There are three main apps: Grab, Bolt, and InDrive. These are the Ubers of Thailand, and you can order a variety of different vehicles on the apps, including cars, motorbikes, vans, and luxury vehicles all with a fixed price with door-to-door service, even from the airport to your hotel. You can pay with cash or credit card, making this an extremely convenient option. Just keep in mind that credit cards may be charged an additional transaction fee.

But the ride-hailing apps are essential here in Bangkok, and that’s because it can be a mistake to use normal taxis altogether.

Mistake #8: Using Regular Taxis

Like many tourist cities around the world, taxis are Ground Zero for most scams and hustles that you’ll encounter here in Bangkok. This includes refusing to use the meter and demanding a much higher fixed fare, using faster or broken meters, taking long scenic routes, short-changing tourists, as well as pushing scam shops and restaurants on unsuspecting passengers.

You can save yourself a lot of hassles by simply avoiding taxis altogether. But if you need to use a taxi, you still can and there are many honest and good drivers out there. But if you do, it’s a mistake to take a taxi that’s sitting by the side of the road in a busy tourist area. Taxis that wait near the side of the street will almost always refuse to use the meter and are much more likely to operate scams and hustles.

Instead, wave one down that’s driving by on the street and ensure that they turn on the meter. Now you might have to wave down two or three before you get a taxi that will turn on the meter, so you need to be patient.

And of course, you can also agree on a fixed price that’s the free market in action. But if you do, I recommend that you check out the price on the ride-hailing apps first and offer that to the taxi driver. Many of the honest drivers just want a little bit extra, as the fares are extremely low here in Bangkok, and this will ensure that you don’t get badly ripped off with that fixed fare.

But if you’re accepting a fixed fare, you need to make sure to agree on a price before you start the journey. If you don’t establish a price before you start the ride, you’ll have to pay a vastly inflated price upon arrival.

Mistake #9: Assuming Tuktuks Are Cheap

But taxis aren’t the only focal point for scams and hustles here in Bangkok. Tuktuks are arguably much more notorious. Tuktuks are the famous three-wheel motorcycles that cruise around here in Bangkok and might try to stop and give you a ride, and they look pretty cheap. But it’s a mistake to assume that they are cheap.

Over the years I’ve met plenty of travelers who simply hopped in a tuktuk assuming it would be a cheap ride. They didn’t negotiate a price ahead of time and found out that it would cost them up to $100 for a short 5-minute trip.

Tuktuks don’t have a meter, and you’ll always need to negotiate a fare. It’s very important to establish that fare before you start the ride, or you’ll face an exorbitant bill upon arrival. And you also need to make sure the price is for the trip itself, because a common scam used by tuktuk drivers is to tell you later that it was per person. So you agree on a 200 baht price, and you arrive at the destination, the driver tells you it’s 200 baht per person. Of course, this is nonsense it’s a scam. But have fun arguing your point in a sea of tuktuk drivers when you arrive. And that’s the game you’re playing when you take tuktuks here in Bangkok.

And much like taxi drivers, they’ll try to bring you to overpriced shops and restaurants where they’ll get a hefty commission.

If you want a tuktuk experience and you want to avoid any scams or hassles, you can use an app called Muvmi. It’s a ride-hailing app for tuktuks where you’ll book a ride in advance with a set fixed price and destination and avoid all the problems while getting the experience of that tuktuk.

Mistake #10: Assuming the Driver Is Your Friend

Whether you’re dealing with a taxi driver or a tuktuk driver, one of the biggest mistakes that you can make is assuming that the driver is your friend. Many drivers will start to talk to you, ask you questions, and attempt to befriend you and this is almost always the setup for a scam. The drivers that aren’t going to scam you are normally quiet, sit back, relax, and just drive to the destination. Whenever I take a taxi, I just put in my headphones and wave off any conversation.

Mistake #11: Not Establishing Price with Motorbike Taxis

In Bangkok, you also have the option of using motorbike taxis. These are drivers who will normally sit around at places like BTS stations, malls, outside condos, wearing an orange vest. Much like tuktuks, they don’t have a meter and you’ll need to pay a fixed price. While motorbike drivers are much less likely to operate any scams or hustles, it’s still a mistake to jump on without first establishing the price. If you look like a naive tourist, there’s a good chance the driver will try to overcharge you when you arrive. Always agree on a price first.

Avoid taking motorbike taxis that drive by and ask you if you need a ride they’re much more likely to overcharge you.

Mistake #12: Paying with Large Bills

Whether you take a tuktuk, a taxi, or a motorbike, it’s always a mistake to hand over a large denomination bill in order to pay for the ride. Some drivers will quickly swap the bill for a smaller note and claim that’s what you gave them. Always pay with approximately the correct change this is a hard and fast rule that you should follow almost everywhere.

Mistake #13: Traveling During Rush Hour

If you plan to take a taxi or a ride-hailing app, it’s a mistake to take one during rush hour. You’ll get stuck in gridlock traffic that can last well over an hour. Find the best public transportation option and go with that instead. Otherwise, you’ll be sitting in traffic like this for a very long time.

In fact, it can be a mistake to travel during rush hour altogether. If you’re traveling here in the city, it’s best to avoid the hours from 7 to 9:00 a.m. and 5 to 6:00 p.m. You’ll definitely have a much more relaxing time navigating the city.

Mistake #14: Renting a Motorbike Without Experience or License

When it comes to motorbikes, you might be tempted to rent one. And it’s a mistake to rent a bike if you lack significant experience and an international driver’s license. Renting a bike is exceptionally easy, and most rental agencies won’t require you to present an international or Thai driver’s license. But Thailand has one of the highest road fatality rates in the world. There are a lot of unwritten rules of the road here, and you don’t want to get your first experience riding a motorbike in a city like Bangkok.

In order to ride legally, you need to have an international or Thai driver’s license. If you don’t have one, the police can stop you and fine you, and your insurance won’t cover you in case of accidents.

Mistake #15: Not Wearing a Helmet

But if you do have a license and you rent a bike or buy a bike, it’s also a mistake not to wear a helmet. You might see Thai people riding around without a helmet on, but if you, a foreigner, are riding around without a helmet, you’re very likely to get stopped by the police and you’ll need to pay a fine. You’ll quickly learn to put on that helmet. And again, most insurance companies won’t cover you if you’re not wearing your helmet.

Mistake #16: Being Too Reliant on Transportation

But it can be a mistake to be too reliant on transportation generally. Many people come to a city like Bangkok and hop from tourist destination to tourist destination, and they avoid seeing everything in between. Some of the most interesting places that I’ve encountered here in Bangkok are part of the journey when I’m walking around and exploring and stumble on a beautiful small temple. This can be the best part of Bangkok. If you’re physically fit and don’t have any mobility issues, make sure to get out, walk around, and explore this city.

And while walking is enjoyable, it’s a mistake to assume that cars will stop for you at any zebra crossings or virtually anywhere. You don’t get the right of way here in Thailand as a pedestrian. You have to keep your eyes open at all times.

The single most important mistake you need to avoid is assuming that anybody follows any rules or laws. You need to stay aware of your surroundings whether you’re on a bike or walking to avoid an accident. This is the biggest mistake of all.

Stay alert and stay safe.